Machine for producing cut and uncut pile fabrics



June 8, 1965 c. A. BRYANT ETAL 3,137,699

MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CUT AND UNCUT FILE FABRICS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 18, 1957 INVENTORS. C.Aldine Bryant,

k m c DE m mb h 0 R Lewis C.LODuke, Otis C. Payne. flm MAM ATTORNEYS June 8, 965 A. BRYANT ETAL 3J$ZQ9 MACHINE FOR PRODUCING CUT AND UNCUT FILE FABRICS Filed OOt. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORSI' C.Aidme Bryant,

Charles D.Ei|iofi, Robert F. Hockney, Lewis C.L0Duke, b OtisCPoyne. v 'z daw/ and ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,1816% MACE-WE FGR PRGDUCHQG CUT AND UNCUT FILE FABRICS Clifford Airline Bryant, Charies D. Elliott, Robert F. Hackney, Lewis C. La Dulre, and Utis C. Payne, ali of Dalton, Ga., assignors to tlahin Crafts, Inc Dalton, Ga., a corporation of Georga Fiied 0st. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 690,995 20 Claims. (Cl. 112-79) This invention relates to a machine for making pile fabrics by formation of loops or tufts in a cloth or backing material. More particularly, it relates to a machine for producing tufted fabrics in which the pile is cut or uncut over the whole surface of the fabric or in selected areas thereof as may be desired or in accordance with any chosen pattern.

Heretofore, machines have been made to produce pile fabrics by tufting, with cut loops or with uncut loops; but it was not possible with these machines to produce cut and uncut pile at will in selected areas of'thesame article without alteration of the machine or in accordance with a pattern.

Therefore, one object of the invention is to provide a tufting machine having means to produce cut pile over selected areas of the surface and uncut pile loops over other areas of the surface at will, without the need for changing any of the tufting instruments or elements of the macln'ne and while the machine runs continuously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing type in which cut and uncut pile can be produced over the surface of the tufted article in accordance with a pattern wherein the pattern may be of irregular shape and in which no limitations are imposed by the machine itself as to the nature of the pattern which is to appear in the manufactured article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing type in, which every yarn-carryingneedle will produce a loop or stitch during every cycle or every reciprocation of the machine but in which the cutting of certain loops or stitches is done without regard to Whether the adjacent stitch or loop may be cut or uncut.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the foregoing type having two loopers adapted to cooperate with each needle, and selecting means to cause cooperation between said needle and one or the other of chine of the foregoing type having two loopers adapted to cooperate with each needle and having means to tilt the needle at Will to select the looper which is to catch the yarn and form the loop or stitch. A related object is to provide a machine of the foregoing type in which the selection of the means to tilt the needle is made automatically in accordance with a pattern, while the machine continues to run.

Another object is to provide a machine as aforesaid which may be constructed from readily available or readily fabricated parts in an economical manner but will, nevertheless, be reliable in action over prolonged periods.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

, 3,l3.7,699 Patented June 8, 1965 In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an end elevation view diagrammatically illustrating a machine embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational section view through the machine of FIG. 1 illustrating one of the rocking mechanisms.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 taken in a plane parallel to, but spaced from, the plane of FIG. 2 and illustrating another of the rocking mechanisms.

FIG. 4 is a. fragmentary perspective view showing the needle tilting mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section view showing the needle tilting mechanism of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an elevation view partly broken away illustrating the pattern drum and associated parts.

FIG. 7 is a detail view illustrating the cut and uncut pile produced by the invention.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is applied to a tufting machine having a fiat work support or table 10 over which the work or cloth C is moved during the tufting operation. For convenience and brevity, but not in a limiting sense, the work support will be referred to hereinafter and in the claims as a table. Above the table is a needle-supporting bar member 12 on which are tiltaoly mounted a plurality of needles N as hereinafter more fully described. The needle bar is reciprocated vertically by two or more vertical thrust shafts 14 to which the bar is attached at each end and along the bar, depending upon its length and the number of needles it carries.

The thrust shafts 14 are suitably and conventionally guided in their reciprocation by guides 15 in a head or frame 16 fixedly mounted over the table 10. A main drive shaft 2i) rotatably mounted horizontally in the head 16 has an eccentric 22 thereon to which is pivotally connected the upper end of a crank 24 causing reciprocation of the crank whose lower end is pivotally connected to the needlebar-thrust shaft or shafts 14 whereby the needle bar is reciprocated vertically above the table it It will be understood that the means described for reciprocating the needle bar is eXemplative and any of a number of means now in common use for reciprocating the needle bar of tufting machines can be used with equal satisfaction.

Beneath the table are three horizontal parallel rock shafts 30, 4t) and 50 supported for rotation in bearings inpairs of arms 32, 42 and 52 which are integral with and extend under the table 10 at spaced points along the shafts 30, 40, 56, only one arm of each pair being visible. The shaft 39 is rocked by a lever arm 33 (FIG. 3) extending radially therefrom and pivotally connected to a connecting rod 34 reciprocated vertically by an eccentric rod 35. The eccentric rod 35 has a loop on its upper end in which rotates an eccentric 36 on the main drive shaft 20.

Mounted on the rock shaft 30 are two or more horizontally spaced identical looper supporting arms 37 carrying a block 38 (see FIG. 1). FiXedly rnountedin the block are a series of identical looper elements 39 arranged in spaced side by side relation in a horizontal row, there being a looper to cooperate with each needle. The looper elements themselves may be of usual or known form.

Rock shafts 4t) and 50 are rocked in unison by radial arms 41 and 51 (see FIG. 2) extending from shafts 40 and 50, respectively, and linked together by a link 54 pivotally connected at its ends to said arms 41 and 51. Rock shaft 40 is rocked by a lever arm 43 radially extending therefrom and pivotally connected with a connecting rod 44 which in turn is pivotally connected with the lower end of an eccentric rod 45. The upper end of the eccentric rod 45 has a loop in which'rotates an eccentric 46 on the main drive shaft 20. Thus, eccentric 46 is responsible for the rocking of both shafts 40 and 50.

Mounted on the rock shaft are one or more horizontally spaced identical looper-supporting arms 47 carrying a horizontally extending block 48. Fixedly mounted in the block are a series of looper elements 49, there being a looper to cooperate with each needle. Like the loopers 39, the loopers 49 are horizontally spaced in a row. The loopers 49 extend toward the needles in a direction opposite to the loopers 39 and the looper 39 for each needle is on the opposite side of that needle from looper 49, to avoid interference. A set of knives 53 cooperate with the loopers 49, one knife cooperating with each looper to make cut pile. The knives and looper elements 49 per se may be of common or usual form. Mechanism is provided, as hereinafter described, to tilt each needle or not, individually, so that yarn brought down by the needle will be caught by one or the other of the looper elements 39 or 49 in order that cut or uncut pile may be made at will. i

The knives 53 are mounted in. spaced relation in a horizontal series on a bar or block 54 and extend upwardly in position to lie individually alongsaid the individual loopers 49 and to slide on the side surfaces thereof like a scissor blade as the bar 54 is rocked. The rocking of the bare and movement of the knives is caused by mounting the bar on laterally supporting arms 55 extending from the rock shaft 50.

The motions of the loopers 49 and knives 53 and needle are coordinated so that the loops are cut after the loops are caught on looper 49 and the needle has risen.

For making uncut pile, loops are normally caught by the loopers 39; that is to say, the. loopers 39 travel over to, or across, the vertical path of the needles N when the needles travel straight up and down in an exactly vertical plane.

In order to take needles individually or several adjacent needles as a unitary group out of the path of motion of the loopers 39 and thus prevent the yarn from being caught by them and at the same time carry the yarn into the path of action of the other'loopers 49, an individual needle or a group unit may be caused to tilt individually. For that purpose, identical individual mechanisms acting on each needle holder, are individually actuated automatically according to a pattern. The needles may be mounted singly, or in pairs as shown, or in larger groups, in tiltable holders (see FIGS. 4 and 5) which are carried pivotally on a horizontal shaft 62 supported in the vertically-reciprocating needle-supporting bar 12. The

needles N extend downwardly from the bottom faces of the holders 60 which extend horizontally. The holders may be cast or machined parts with a head portion 61, in which the needles are mounted side-byside, and an arm portion 63 extending laterally out of the plane of reciprocation of the needle bar 12.

A series of slots are provided in the needle supporting bar 12 in which the tiltable needle holders 60 are inserted. The shaft 62 is passed through the heads 61 of the tiltable holders 60 as it is inserted in the needle I bar 12..

In the upper face of each holder, a vertical spring seat is bored in which sits the lower end of a coiled compression spring 64 whose upper end presses against the top surface of the holder-receiving slots in the needle bar 12. The compression springs 64 are located to urgethe holder to maintain the needles vertically normally with the top face of the holder flush against the needle bar 12 to afford a firm support for the needles during their insertion into the cloth.

To tilt the needle holders and needles, a series of needle tilt levers 70 are provided in the form of fiat bell-cranks,

' there being one lever for each of the holders 60. These levers 70 are mounted in a row on a fixed horizontal shaft 72 mounted in a fixed part of the machine adjacent to,

but out of the path of reciprocation of the needle bar. A serie of slots are provided in said part for the reception individuallyof the levers 70 with one leg 71 ate once for each looper oscillation.

- cloth over the table of the machine.

of each lever extending vertically and being tiltable into engagement with the needle tilt arms 60.

Tilting of the levers 70 is accomplished by individual pneumatic cylinders which are selectively actuated by opening and closing air valves operated by electric solenoids which are, in turn, selectively energized by a pattern drum, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The horizontal leg 73 of each bell-crank lever 70 extends away from the needle bar 12 and has loosely connected to it on its end as by a pin-and-slot connection 74 the lower end of a piston rod 75. Each piston rod extends downwardly from a vertically mounted pneumatic cylinder 76 in which the piston is normally pressed upwardly by a coiled compression spring (not visible) within the cylinder, in usual fashion.

As the air pressure is admitted to each cylinder through their individual compressed air pipes 78 connecting with the cylinder at its top, the piston and piston rod are pressed down causing pivoting of the needle tilt lever 70 clockwise (referring to FIG. 5) and pressing its vertical leg 71 into the path of its tiltable needle holder 60. Hence, as the needle bar 12 descends, the needle holders ea are tilted into the dotted position of FIG. 5 by the levers '79 so that when the needle penetrates the cloth,

it does so at a small angle approximately 15 more or less, and puts the loop of yarn in the path of the looper 49 by which it is caught.

Conventional gearing drives the rock shafts 40 and'50 for the loopers 49 and knives 53 so that the knives oper- These motions are coordinated through the gearing with the needle reciprocations to give the following sequence:

The needles descend and penetrate the cloth, the looper 49 move to the right (referring to FIG. 1) to catch the yarn loops from the needles, the needle rise. The knives 53 move to the left to cut the loops that were caught on the loopers 49. The sequence is then repeated.

The sequence for the loopers 39 is similiar except that the knives and their operation are absent, and those loopers move to the left.

It is necessary that the tilting of the needles for formation of cut pile be in the direction of movement of the It is also necessary that the loopers 49 and their knives 53 be on the side of the needle from which the cloth is receding because the loops caught upon the looper 49 are cut and can be freed therefrom, while the loops caught on the looper 39 are not cut and could not be freed if that looper 39 were on the receding side. The looper 39 must be on the advancing side of the needle.

Selection of needles to be tilted is done by a pattern drum which controls energizing or denerg izing of electrical devices selectively, to operate selected pneumatic cylinders 76 and to tilt selected needles.

Admission of air to each cylinder 76 is controlled by conventional, individual electric solenoid operated air valves 77 in each air line 78 from the compressed air source 79 to each cylinder 76. Since the solenoid valves are available on the market and can be purchased as complete units, their structure and operation need not be further described.

The wire terminals of solenoid valves 77 are connected electrically as usual to a suitable common source 81 of electric current; and each valve is also electrically connected individually to one finger in a row of contact fingers which are insulated from one another and rub over a rotating drum 80 which is likewise connected to the common or ground sideof the circuit. A pattern having conductive portions corresponding to'the areas where cut pile is to appear in the rug and non-conducting portions where uncut pile is to appear is laid on or afiixed to the surface of the drum so that as'the drum rotates certain fingers contact with the conductive portion causing energization of the solenoids connected to those fingers and opening of air valves controlled by those solenoids, thereby to actuate certain pistons and tilt individual needles.

Rotation of the drum is regulated and determined in accordance with the speed of production of a given length of the rug or tufted article which the pattern is to cover, one revolution taking place during the production of said given length.

In this manner, the pattern laid on the drum determines the pattern which will appear in the finished rug or other tufted article. Clearly, the number of patterns which can be created by a machine embodying this invention is infinite. Moreover, the only change that need be made when m article having one pattern is to be made differently than a previous article, is to place a new pattern upon the drum. This can be easily and quickly accomplished after the pattern has been prepared. The versatility and flexibility and use of the present invention is an outstanding characteristic and advantage.

Since the number of needles can be increased or decreased depending on the demands or requirements of particular usage, the invention is readily adaptable to use in making narrow or wide fabrics.

In addition, the parts which are employed as individual elements in the machine are relatively simple forms and can be manufactured without great expense or the need for elaborate tools.

Many modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific form and arrangement described and illustrated.

What is claimed is:

l. A tufting machine comprising a table, a needle above the table, means to reciprocate the needle for penetrating cloth moving over the table, a looper below the table adapted to catch yarn carried by the needle and to form a loop, a second looper beneath the table adapted to catch yarn carried by said needle and to form a loop, means to cut loops caught on said second looper, and means to shift the point of the needle at will to cause it to cooperate with either said first or said second looper thereby to selectively form either uncut or cut loops.

2. In a tufting machine as claimed in claim 1, means to pivotally support said needle, and means to tilt the needle to cause the shift of the needle point.

3. A turting machine as claimed in claim 1 having pattern control means to automatically cause said needle shifting in accordance with a pattern.

4. A tufting machine comprising a table, a bank of yarn-carrying needles side by side above the table, means to reciprocate the needles to'penetrate cloth passing over the table to form loops, a plurality of loop-catching means beneath the table for each needle adapted to catch loops made by the needles, means associated with one loop-catching means operative to cut selected loops to form cut pile, means to cause the yarn to be directly caught and to be retained either on one looping means or on the other, independently of the action of the other, so as to form cut pile or loop pile, and means operable while the machine continues running to selectively cause formation of cut or uncut pile in selected places.

5. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 4 having pattern control means to operate said selecting means, thereby to form cut or uncut pile according to a pattern.

6. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 4 in which the selecting means includes means to shift the points of the needles at will for cooperation with different looping means.

7. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 4 having means to pivotally support the needles, and in which the selecting means includes means to tilt selected needles to cause them to cooperate with different looping means.

8. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 7 having pattern control means to operate said selecting means, thereby to form cut or uncut pile according to a pattern.

9. A tufting machine comprising a table, a needle above the table, means to reciprocate the needle for penetrating cloth moving over said table, a looper below the table adapted to catch yarn carried by the needle and to form a loop, a second looper beneath the table adapted to catch yarn carried by said needle and to form a loop, means to cut loops on said second looper, and means causing said needle to cooperate selectively with said first looper or with said second looper independent of the action of said first looper at difierent tines during the running of the machine to form uncut and cut loops at dififerent places in the tufted article.

1%. A tufting machine comprising a table, a yarn-carrying needle above the table, means to reciprocate the needle to penetrate cloth passing over the table to form loops, two looping means beneath the table adapted to catch yarn carried by the needle to hold loops, means operative to cut the loops on said looping means to form cut pile, and means to shift the point of the needle While the machine is running to cause it to cooperate with one or the other of said looping means to selectively cause the formation of cut or uncut pile.

11. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 6 having pattern control means to select the needles to be shifted thereby to form cut and uncut pile according to a pattern.

12. A tufting machine as claimed in claim 11 having pneumatic means operated by said pattern control means to cause the needle shifting.

13. A tufting machine comprising a table, a needle above the table, means to reciprocate the needle for penetrat ng cloth moving over said table, a looper below the table adapted to catch yarn carried by the needle and to form and retain a loop thereon, a second looper beneath the table adapted to catch and retain a yarn loop from the needle independently of the action of the other looper, means to cut loops on said second looper, and means operable while the machine is in continuous operation to selectively cause the needle to cooperate with either looper to the exclusion of the other to selectively form cut or uncut pile.

14-. A tuiting machine comprising a table, a bank of yarn-carrying needles side by side above the table, means to reciprocate the needles to penetrate cloth passing over the table to form loops, a plurality of loop-catching means beneath the table for each needle each adapted to catch a loop as the loop is made by the needle, means operative to cut selected loops to form cut pile, and electric solenoid operated means operable while the machine is running to cause selective shifting of the points of said needles to cause their cooperation with one or the other of said looping means to selectively cause formation of cut or uncut pile in selected places.

15. A tuiting machine comprising a table, a bank of yarn-carrying needles side by side above the table, means to reciprocate the needles to penetrate cloth passing over the table to form loops, a plurality of loop-catching means beneath the table for each nee le each adapted to catch a loop as the loop is made by the needle, means operative to cut selected loops to form cut pile, and pneumatic operating means operable While the machine is running to selectively shift the points of said needles to cause their cooperation with one or the other of said looping means to selectively cause formation of cut or uncut pile in selected places.

16. A tufting machine comprising a table, a bank of yarn-carrying needles side by side above the table, means to reciprocate the needles to penetrate cloth passing over the table to form loops, a plurality of loop-catching means beneath the table for each needle each adapted to catch a loop made by the needle, means operative to cut selected loops to form cut pile, and pneumatic operating means operable while the machine is running to selectively shift the points of said needles to cause their cooperation with one or the other of said looping means to selectively cause formation of cut or uncut pile in selected places, and pattern control means in- '7 eluding electric solenoid valves to select the needles to be shifted.

17. In a tufting machine, a bank of yarn-carrying needles, means to reciprocate said needle bank, two banks of loopers to form pile of different characteristics, each bank having a looper adapted to cooperate with each needle, said loopers being rockably mounted forwardly and rearwardly of the needle with respect to the direction of work movement, a plurality of needle holding means movably mounted on said reciprocating means and each holding a group of one or more needles, means adapted to act selectively as the needle bank descends to move said needle holding means individually and selectively to determine which of the two loopers that cooperate with each needle shall catch and retain the yarn.

18. A tufting machine comprising a work support, a needle on one side of the support, means to reciprocate the needle for penetrating a backing sheet moving over the support, a looper on the other side of the support adapted to catch a loop of yarn carried by the needle, means including a second looper on said other side of the support adapted to catch yarn carried by said needle and to form pile of a character different than that formed by the first looper, and means to vary the movement of the point of the needle at will to cause it to cooperate with either said first or said second looper thereby to selectively form pile of one character or another.

19. A tufting machine comprising a work support, a bank of yarn-carrying needles, means to reciprocate the needle bank for penetrating a backing sheet moving over said support, a first looper on one side of the backing sheet for each needle adapted to catch yarn carried by its needle and to hold 'a loop, means including a second looper for each needle on the same side of the backing sheet as said first looper adapted to catch yarn carried by said needle and to form pile of a character different than that formed by the first looper, and means causing each needle to cooperate with said first looper or said second looper selectively at different times during the running of the machine, in each instance the loop being retained on the looper by which it is initially caught in order to form at different places in the tufted article pile as determined by such looper, means causing each looper to oscillate through an arc of the same degree regardless whether the needle cooperates with its first or its second looper.

29. A tufting machine comprising a work support, a needle on one side of the support, means to reciprocate the needle for penetrating a backing sheet moving over said support, a looper on the other side of the support adapted to originally catch and retain yarn carried by the needle, means including a second looper on said other side of the support adapted to originally catch and retain yarn carried by said needle and to form pile of a character different than that formed by the first looper, and means causing said needle to cooperate with said first looper or said second looper selectively at different times during the running of the machine to form pile of diifcrent character at diflerent places in the tufted article, means causing each looper to oscillate through an arc of the same degree regardless whether the needle cooperates with its first or its second looper.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,909,530 5/33 Gladish 11279 1,984,330 12/34 Boyce 1l2-221 2,423,606 7/47 McCutchen 11279 2,432,682 9/49 Moore 11279 2,832,301 4/58 Wear 11279 2,876,183 3/59 Parlin 112-796 2,879,728 3/59 McCutchen 112-79 2,879,729 3/59 McCutchen 112-79 2,882,845 4/59 Hoeselbarth 1l279.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 635,817 4/50 1 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS J. HICKEY, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY,

Examiners. 

4. A TUFTING MACHINE COMPRISING A TABLE, A TANK OF YARN-CARRYING NEEDLES SIDE BY SIDE ABOVE THE TABLE, MEANS TO RECIPROCATE THE NEEDLES TO PENETRATE CLOTH PASSING OVER THE TABLE TO FORM LOOPS, A PLURALITY OF LOOP-CATCHING MEANS BENEATH THE TABLE FOR EACH NEEDLE ADAPTED TO CATCH LOOPS MADE BY THE NEEDLES, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ONE LOOP-CATCHING MEANS OPERATIVE TO CUT SELECTED LOOPS TO FORM CUT PILE, MEANS TO CAUSE THE YARN TO BE DIRECTLY CAUGHT AND TO BE RETAINED EITHER ON ONE LOOPING MEANS OR ON THE OTHER, INDEPENDENTLY OF THE ACTION OF THE OTHER, SO AS TO FORM CUT PILE OR LOOP PILE, AND MANS OPERABLE WHILE THE MACHINE CONTINUES RUNNING TO SELECTIVELY CAUSE FORMATION OF CUT OR UNCUT PILE IN SELECTED PLACES. 